HeatherClan
PERSONALITY HeatherClan is an independant, strong-willed Clan that cares very deeply for its cats. It is a tightknit society made of diggers, runners and healers. They are very dedicated to their warrior ancestors in Silverpelt. They sleep almost exclusively under the stars, admiring the glimmers of the night sky. They sport three different languages, two verbal and one tail-centered. They greatly value teamwork and their history as a Clan, and have winding tales leading back from the days of WindClan. They are loud, proud and confident, and if you doubt their abilities or their personality for even a moment, you'll find yourself regretting it! TERRITORY HeatherClan lives in an open moorland that explodes with colorful flowers in the early spring, and is covered by snow in the winters. On the southeastern border lay an apple grove, and the landscape is dotted with rabbit warrens that are actually entrances to a complicated tunnel system. Their camp lay in a small gorge with a river running through it, the source of which is the place where the Clan speaks to their ancestors. There are only two signs that twolegs have ever touched this territory: an old tire north of camp and the apple orchard. MAP + LANDMARKS CAMP -- once an underground stream, the dirt and stone collapsed during a terrible storm, opening up a small gorge. This revealed a huge boulder which once had the appearance of a tall stone which now acts as the leader's vantage, the Watchstone. The dens are all tunnel entrances that have been partly filled in, and are all somehow connected to each other. MOONFALLS -- where HeatherClan convenes with their Warrior Ancestors. The falls are actually fairly short, but the Clan has never traveled beyond them. When they go to visit it, they lap up the cold water. It's often said to taste like stardust. RIVER -- the life-giving stream that runs through HeatherClan's territory. It runs through HeatherClan's camp, and later leads out into the unknown. THE GORGE -- the river splits into two sections; one leads off and away, while the other goes north, and leads into a deep carved-out gorge. The edges are sharp and jagged, and it grows so deep that a fall into its waters could kill a cat. LANDBRIDGE -- the only way to get across the gorge is by this thin strip of land, only two cats wide. It is treacherous to traverse, meaning no apprentices or kits go across if it is not an emergency. OLD TIRE -- one of the only signs that twolegs have touched this territory. Noone knows how it got there or why, or what it was originally attacked to, but it's a common training ground. APPLE GROVE -- the second sign that twolegs have been here. A grove of apple trees surrounded by a small, crooked fence. In the golden part of autumn these apples ripen, and the cats will gather to eat them and make merry. This is a popular haunt for cats who need alone-time, comforted by the shade of the trees. ORIGINS + HISTORY HeatherClan is among the oldest of all the split-offs, being directly 'descended' from WindClan, one of the ancient original Clans. DANDELION ERA -- HeatherClan was founded shortly after WindClan seperated, though they were not yet called by their current name. They were among the cats who wanted to be a lonesome Clan, loyal only to themselves and garnering friendships only during Gatherings. They viewed their former Clanmates' want to be around other Clans as a weakness, and so dispersed. Originally they settled in the mountains Northeast of the Moonpool, where they simply continued to go by WindClan. BLOODSHED ERA -- Among all the Clans, "WindClan" was among those least affected by rogues torn up over lost and claimed territory. However, at the beginning, they were very harrowed - a small group that had broken away from the Tribe took offense to their settling and attacked, driving them away from the peaks in the dead of winter. Through the snow and ice they trudged, following the river they had followed in the first place up and up and up, further north. When the spring broke they had fallen into a countryside few cats inhabited, and those that did live there were eager to join a group that would look after them and their kin loyally. The leader at the time, Heatherstar, lead them so well through these hard times that they named themselves after her when she died - and thus, HeatherClan was born. PEACEBRINGER ERA -- HeatherClan was among the later Clans to recieve Flamewatcher's gift. By the time she arrived among them, she was tired, and her friends were in need of food and health checking. The Clan was happy to help them out, giving them dens, fresh prey and plenty of honor. While the Clan was at first frightened by the fire she brought, they soon warmed to it (no pun intended), and finally the leader of the time granted Flamewatcher permission to teach the gift to those she deemed worthy. Soon after she left, the teaching of firemaking and watching was spread among the cats, and became common practice - and a common point in an apprentice's education. STARLIGHT ERA -- In the current era, HeatherClan is thriving. They are larger now than they ever have been, and face little competition in the way of prey and territory. The open moors give them all the territory and prey they need, and StarClan has been kind to them. TERMINOLOGY BASICS The Blooming -- Spring. The Burning -- Summer. The Frosting -- Autumn. The Freezing - Winter. Moor-Patrol -- Cats sent to patrol the moors. Tunnel-Patrol -- Cats scent to patrol the tunnels. Grassmelt -- slushy snow that is littered with uprooted plants, particularly at the end of winter. OtherClan -- A term used to describe cats who are in Clans, but not HeatherClan. PHRASES "As easy as snatching eggs" -- An easy, effortless task. "Barleybrain" -- Idiot or stupid, or nonsensical. "When rabbits catch cats" -- used to describe the impossibility of an event. "May you rest well in the shade" -- An old farewell to the dead. "Sorry prowls no tunnels" -- a scolding meaning "you must act before you are forgiven." "Mole-Eyed" -- An unobservant cat. "Windy Weeds!" -- An exclamation of frustration. RANKS + DUTIES LEADER -- The Leader is expected to be fair, strong, and independant. They are expected to be able to lead the Clan without assistance from outsiders, though they are also expected to ask for the Clan's opinion. HeatherClan is a loose matriarchy, meaning almost all of their leaders have been female. DEPUTY -- The Deputy is expected to act as the right-paw to the Leader. They lead most border patrols, and battle patrols if necessary. When the Leader dies this cat steps up as leader. Most cats prefer to report problems to the Deputy to act as a middle-man between the average cat and the Leader. STARGAZERS -- The religious leader of the Clan. There are only ever two Stargazers at a time. These cats are forbidden from kitting, and are considered "deleted" from their family tree, meaning there is a lot of controversy around becoming one. These cats travel to the Moonfalls every half-moon to convene with their ancestors. MONARCHS -- Those who are watching, carrying, or suckling kits. All monarchs work together to raise their kits in one den. Monarchs are the most valued members of the Clan, as they have the future of the Clan at their belly. If a monarch does not agree with a decision, much of the Clan will follow. The eldest kit-bearing monarch in the Clan lives permanently in the nursery to act as a mentor to younger, less experienced dams. ELDERS -- The cats too old to continue fulfilling their duties. The Clan protects, hunts and cleans them when they can't. In return, the Elders keep the history of the Clan alive through stories, and ensure the Clan does not repeat mistakes many of the cats were not alive to witness the repercussions of. HEALERS -- The cats in charge of the physical health of the Clan. This is one of the three "Warrior" ranks. Any cat can choose to be a Healer. They learn basics in hunting and fighting, but they specialize in herbal remedies - from tiny sniffles to broken bones to breach kits. RUNNERS -- Cats who specialize in hunting and patrolling the open moors. TUNNELERS -- Cats who specialize in hunting and patrolling the tangled tunnels. APPRENTICES -- Young cats between the ages of 6 and 12 moons that are learning how to be true Clan cats. Each rank has an affectionate name for their 'paws: Healers call them 'Leafbuds,' Runners call them 'Softpaws', and Diggers call them 'Pebbles.' KITS -- Young kittens under the age of 6 moons. Their only duties are to grow, learn, get underpaw and have fun. HALF-WARRIORS -- Cats who have chosen to join the Clan but have not yet proven themselves. They are treated and trained as apprentices, regardless of their age. LORE + MYTHOLOGY WINDSTAR -- HeatherClan reveres Windstar greatly, of course - without her might they would never have the structure and civilization they do today. They admire her motherly skills and instincts, as she is remembered for placing the needs of her kits above all others. SHATTERED ICE -- A cat among the ancients, it is often erased that he ended up in RiverClan. The first tunneler, his legacy forgotten for countless generations, HeatherClan takes their tunneling very seriously thanks to him. He is known to be a patron spirit of the oldest Digger families, following apprentices into the dark to chase off their anxieties. HEATHERSTAR -- The leader who pulled HeatherClan through their formative challenge: traveling through the mountains after an attack by tribecats forced them out of the peaks. She was known for taking no nonsense, and never letting cats forget the strength in their roots and the power of where they come from. When the Clan finally settled, she refused to allow the Clan name to be changed, for she was very humble. When kits are afraid of change or apprentices grow tired on patrol, she is called upon to give them the strength they need to power through til the end. THE TUNNELCAT -- A cryptid the elder apprentices tell their new peers as a story to spook them out of the tunnels. The story tells of a cat who believed, truly, that he could live under the tunnels forever. The cats of HeatherClan admired his beautiful, slick white coat, and narrow amber eyes the color of sunset and honey. His partners begged him to stay, for nothing could outmatch his beautiful self laying in the tall grass and soaking up the sun. But he knew he could live in the tunnels, and noone could convince him otherwise. He traveled into the tunnels, and few ever saw him again. One day, however, a small apprentice awoke to hear singing coming from one of the long channels she was not supposed to enter. She followed the sound, enamored. At the end of the tunnel, she heard the roaring of a distant river, and saw a horrible beast. It was all white, almost catlike, but it had changed... fundamentally. Its eyes were black, its ears tiny and round, legs short and body all too long. It let out a screaming hiss, nearly catlike, and the small cat was thrown into the gushing water, never to be seen again. It's said the Tunnelcat continues to roam, but because of how extensive they are, it is rare to see it. But if you hear singing coming from the tunnels at night - beware. THUNDERBRIGHT -- Back when all the Clans were one large entity, there was an immense warrior called Sunlight. She was huge, and stronger than any cat. Her fur was the color of snow on a pale morning. She was known for being able to take on six foxes at once without breaking so much as a sweat, and when she spoke her voice commanded authority. One day the Clan was imperiled by a huge wolf who took her on blow-for-blow. The Clan thought this would be the end of their incredible warrior - but they were wrong. She traveled to the top of a mountain and leaped, crashing claws-first onto the back of the wolf. So swift and strong was she that she looked merely like a flash of light from the sky, and she came down so fast that the sound of their impact was like the earth itself had shattered in two. StarClan then granted her a place among them, as protecter of the Clans; now, whenever there is thunder and lightning, all cats know it is the warrior Thunderbright, protecting the Clans from a great evil that never had a chance to meet them. THE CAT THAT STOLE THE SUN -- Back when HeatherClan had not yet made their great trek to their current lands, they lived in the mountains. They were peaceful there, unbothered by any cat. However, one day they were found by another group of cats, about the same size they were. The cats settled nearby, and HeatherClan was happy to leave them in peace. But they kept visiting them at the borders; making smalltalk, bringing up seemingly pointless discussion. Soon the two groups were friends. Some cats lamented the idea of being allies with another catgroup again, for HeatherClan was doing just fine by themselves. But the leader of the time, the one before Heatherstar, did not mind; they caused no trouble. One day the group of cats came offering a feast, and HeatherClan was glad to join them. But suddenly, the whole world fell into darkness - clouds covered the sky, blotting out the sun. The leader of the strangers was missing. He had taken away the sun! He came down with the sun trapped beneath his paw and gave the Clan cats an ultimatum: leave the territory and regain the sun, or lose the sun forever. HeatherClan had no option but to vacate their territory; this is why HeatherClan allies itself with no other but themselves. VALUES + SKILLS HeatherClan values independance above all else. They see weakness in depending on other groups or Clans for support or assistance, and firmly believe that they can solve all of their problems by themselves. However, they also greatly value teamwork, and a cat that cannot work in a group is often viewed as an outcast. They have a dedication to StarClan typical of WindClan descendants, preferring to sleep under the stars instead of in the dens whenever possible. To sleep away from StarClan's view is to be separated from them entirely, and the idea of being out-of-touch with their Warrior Ancestors makes HeatherClan exceptionally uncomfortable. HeatherClan's best set of skills is their swiftness and their navigation. On the moors, being quick on one's feet is paramount to eating that day, and escaping the danger of swooping eagles and biting snakes in the summer. Underground, those who cannot find their way home die lonely and hungry in the darkness below the moors. For this reason they have created a whole separate, if simpler, language specifically for tunnels. Made of a series of chirps, miaows, and yowls, it is engineered specifically to echo off tunnel walls and be understood at a distance. They also have a nearly-complete tail language for distance communication over the moors, where making a noise could see your prey disappear into a burrow. Both of these languages are well-known among all cats. PHYSICAL APPEARANCE HeatherClan cats widely are known for their very classic WindClan appearance. They often have large ears, slanted eyes, small paws and skinny bodies. They come in the rarer colors of cats - fawns, cinnamons and even the rare caramel will crop up more commonly than most might expect. The ranks of Runner and Digger tend to be visually seperated as well. Runners tend to be one color, and usually have tabby markings. They long, round tails for balancing on the run, and their ears are usually slanted back, giving them a sleek, windblown appearance. Diggers have larger, webbed paws, with shorter whiskers, pale eyes and multiple colors. Their whiskers are not naturally short - Diggers tend to deal with fire far more often, as the tunnels are commonly almost pitch-black. Long and short fur are equally common, however they all share a dense, harsh undercoat. WARRIOR CODE # Stargazers may not bear kits, take a mate, or be affiliated with any family they may have had when they were born. This is to keep their mind pure and untainted by bias for family. # Mentors and Apprentices may not be mates. # Toms are strictly prohibited from entering the nursery unless given prior passage by the monarchs therein. # No Apprentice may graduate into Warriorhood under the age of 12 moons. # An apprentice may choose what path they follow. # A monarch's duty is to guide their kit to the right path; however they have no right to control their offspring, as their path is not their kits' path. # A cat who betrays the Clan faces exile, nothing less. HOLIDAYS The Fasting Feast -- On November 19th, this somber period of remembrance begins. For a full week, the cats of HeatherClan fast, only eating once as the moon is rising before beginning their day. This represents the battle HeatherClan's ancestors undertook after they were chased out of their mountain settlement, following the river for so long. Finally, on November 25th, the Clan goes out for a night-long hunt, with cats of all kinds going in shifts on the moors and in the tunnels between periods of rest. As the moon sets and the sun begins to rise, the Clan settles their prey in a protected place within Camp and slumber through the day. When the moon rises on November 26th, the Clan rises and comes together in the middle of Camp for a massive feast. During this feast they share all that they are thankful for regarding Clan Life, and pay respects to the unknown ancestors that died on that terrible journey. The Vernal Festival -- On the first night of the new year, two contests are held in conjunction with one another. The first is the Moorspeak Contest, and the second is the Tunnelspeak contest. They both aim to find the same winner: the cat who is best at each. It works like this: * Moorspeak Contest -- One Runner stands on a flat plane, while several Runners stand nearby. Each of them signs to the cat in the middle, who signs it back to them, and a third cat judges. The cat who was least exact is disqualified until there is only one left. They then go against the champion of last year's contest. * Tunnelspeak Contest -- One Digger stands at the tunnel entrance between the Camp and Fourtrees, just underneath the opening. Several Diggers remain at camp, and each take turns shouting different messages in Tunnelspeak. The cat deeper in the tunnels then repeats it back to them. The cat who was least exact is disqualified until there is only one left. They then go against the champion of last year's contest. Whoever wins each contest gets first pick of the freshkill pile that night, and for the rest of the year they are considered the most experienced of the rank. They are looked to for suggestions on new mentors, patrols, and general advice over the course of the year. The Frosting Review - A festival almost solely celebrated by the healers, this is a time for review, cleaning and general new beginnings. The healers all work together to clean out the entire healer's den of old herbs and bedding on the Autumnal Equinox. Once everything has been cleared out and refreshed, mentors take their apprentices on journeys to gather whatever herbs they can - no matter if they already have it or not. This acts as a review for all cats to remember certain remedies for the coming winter, such as medicines for greencough and frostbite. This is also a big bonding time for the healers, who often find themselves under deep stress. The Apple Celebration -- A well-beloved festival by all the cats of HeatherClan. This does not have an exact date, however it always happens in the late autumn. This festival occurs after the apples begin to fall, but not so long after that they rot. The Clan convenes at the apple orchard and falls into a catpile of licking, gossiping and storytelling. When the night begins to wind down and the cats are full off apples, the Stargazer will come forward and tell a story to do with the ancestors - how they guide the Clan always, and even though the Freezing is approaching, HeatherClan will make it through to spring as they always do. The Day of Feathered Nests -- A springtime celebration encouraging the coming of new life and new cats to HeatherClan. On this day the Clan brings together beautiful items - feathers, flowers, leaves, fruits, and shiny beetles - and each cat is to present an item to a cat they love. Most traditionally this is a cat they find attractive and wish to be romantic with, but this can also be a sibling, parent, friend or mentor. After this exchanging of gifts, romantic partners will decorate their shared nest together. This is often the day most cats in HeatherClan can trace their conception to.